engleski

Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic two years later… What’s next?

Exactly two years ago, we published an editorial in the Croatian Medical Journal discussing a global threat from a new coronavirus epidemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which began in China at the end of 2019 and soon spread around the world. The first case of COVID-19 in Croatia was recorded on February 25, 2020, while the editorial was being written. On that occasion, we warned of the danger of the rapid spread and pathogenic potential of the novel coronavirus, the need for the constant monitoring of respiratory pathogens with high epidemic potential, as well as of the importance of developing vaccines and antiviral drugs rapidly to combat this and similar viruses. Today, two years later, an unpleasant and unexpected scenario has unfolded that we could not have imagined, but the question remains: What’s next? At the beginning, Croatia managed the situation very successfully, promptly implementing the measures to combat the spread of the epidemic within its borders. At the beginning of the pandemic, Croatia had one of the highest COVID-19 Stringency Index values and now is one of the most liberal countries in the EU with regard to the stringency of anti- epidemic measures. Due to strict measures during the first wave, Croatia was one of the countries with the lowest daily number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases and cumulative confirmed COVID-19 deaths per capita. However, in late 2020, during the second wave of the pandemic, Croatia had one of the highest incidences of daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per capita in Europe. In February 2022, it temporarily had the highest 14-day death rate per capita in the EU/EEA. Sadly, the vaccination rate in Croatia is one of the lowest in the EU, which, along with high prevalence of certain chronic diseases in Croatian population and unfavorable demographic picture, is one of the factors affecting the high incidence and death rate in our country. Up to now, 1 053 568 cases have been registered in Croatia, with over 15 000 deaths. This editorial, like its predecessor two years ago, could be concluded with the same words: What’s next? Let us hope for a brighter future!

COVID-19 ; humans ; pandemics ; SARS-CoV-2

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